Truck Driver Day: Fines for Violating the Rest Law Rise 272%, Increasing Accident Risk and Highlighting Urgency in Caring for Professional Drivers’ Health

High In Accident Risk Reinforces Urgency To Care For The Health Of Professional Drivers And Medical Entities Fought Against The Extension Of The Validity Period Of Up To 10 Years Of The National Driver’s License

Yesterday (07/21), on the eve of Truck Drivers’ Day, data from the Federal Highway Police (PRF) prove the precarious working conditions that this category is subjected to and reveal that better care for the physical and mental health of these professionals is an important mechanism to improve traffic safety. The number of violations for disrespecting the Rest Law increased by 272% in the last two years. This type of violation has been growing since 2018. In that year, 5,775 violations were recorded. In 2020, the number jumped to 21,499. By May of this year, the PRF had already registered 11,366 violations.

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The scientific director of the Minas Gerais Traffic Medicine Association (Ammetra), Alysson Coimbra, evaluates that disrespecting Law 13.103 of 2015 causes serious health issues for drivers. “Fatigue, combined with sleep deprivation, compromises reflexes and reaction capacity, as well as increasing the risks of developing metabolic diseases such as obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. These factors combined reduce the ability to drive safely and increase the risk of accidents,” he states.

Truck Drivers Suffer From Exhausting Work Hours

The Truck Driver Profile study conducted by the National Transport Confederation (CNT) in 2019 revealed that the category has an exhausting work schedule: they drive an average of 8,561.3 kilometers per month, work an average of 11.5 hours a day, from 5 to 7 days a week. “The Rest Law exists precisely to ensure better working conditions and improve road safety. It determines that professional drivers cannot drive for more than five and a half uninterrupted hours and must take 30-minute breaks within every six hours. In the case of drivers transporting passengers, the rest must be applied every four hours,” Coimbra comments.

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According to the law, drivers must rest for at least 11 hours every 24-hour period. “The drop in freight values and tight deadlines lead many of these professionals to extend their hours to achieve more decent earnings, but this subjects them, like other members of the national traffic system, to serious accidents,” observes the director of Ammetra.

Changes In The Brazilian Traffic Code (CTB) Target Health Of Truck Drivers

Coimbra emphasizes that more frequent medical and psychological monitoring for this professional category is essential. “The changes in the Brazilian Traffic Code (CTB) have given professionals the same treatment afforded to regular drivers. This is dangerous because the health of those who drive up to 11 hours, 5 to 7 days a week, deteriorates much faster. Science has shown us that 90% of accidents are caused by human factors. If we do not adequately take care of the health of these drivers, we will increase their chances of dying and killing on the roads,” he concludes.

For this reason, medical entities fought so hard against the extension of the validity period of the National Driver’s License to a period of up to 10 years. “The CNT study showed that only 42% of truck drivers seek a health professional to prevent diseases. Another 38.3% seek help when symptoms appear or worsen, and 5.7% only seek help to update their health certificate. When the law extends the period for a new evaluation by traffic specialists, it contributes to the worsening of the health situation,” Coimbra concludes.